Door check and spring.



No. 65|,098. Patented lune 5, |900.

, V. BEAUREGARD.

D003 CHECK ANDv SPRING.'

(Application led May 29, 1899.)

(No Model.)

1H: Norms PETERS co. PNoTaufuo WASHINGTON. u, r.

NiTED STATES AlFATENT EEICE'.

'vICToR BEAUREGARD, oE'EoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASsrGNoR or ONE- HALE ToCHARLES S. CooDINC, or BRooKLiNE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DOOR CHECK AND SPRING.

lSISE'CI'FICATI'ou forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,098, datedJune 5, ieoo.

Application led May 29,1899. Serial No. 7183745. (No model.)

vTo all wit/m t may concern:

Be it known that 1,-VICToR BEAUREGARD, a citizen of the United States,yresiding at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented'new and useful Improvements in Door Checks and Springs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class or type of pneumatic door checksand springs Wherero in a cylinder is pivotally connected at one' end andcontains a piston having a pistonrod connected through intermediatedevices with the door and by intermeshing gear with a spring containedWithin a barrel or casing. In prior door-,checks ofthis character thegears must turn on their pivot-bearings or ing so much frictionfrom thelateral or side pressure referred to as to render the device practicallyinoperative, due to excessive fric- 30 tion.

The chief objects of my invention are to improve, simplify, and rendermore econom- 'ical the character of door checks and springs Vreferred toand to provide a novel construction wherein the springhas no directworking connection with the piston-rod, whereby friction on the pistonand piston-rod is red-uced to the minimum without regard to the power orstrength of the spring required and '4'o`the door check and spring arerendered more easy, effective, reliable, and satisfactory in practicaloperation and can be used on either a right or left hand door.

To accomplis-h these objects, my invention involves the features ofconstruction, the combination or arrangement of parts, and theprinciples of operation hereinafter described' Vand claimed, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, in Which- 5o Figure 1 is a planview of my improved 'shown partly in section.

and holder 14 constitute a movable connectdoor-check, showing the sameattached to a door and door-casing in the position assumed by the checkwhen the door is closed. Fig.

2 is a similar View showing the position assumed by the check when thedoor isopened part way or to an angle of nearly ninety degrecs, thecylinder being broken away and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of myimproved check attached to a door and door-casing. Fig. 4 is a detached6o front elevation of the spring-casing, bracket, V and cylinder-holderwith the cylinder removed and the piston-rod in section. Fig. 5

is a vertical sectional elevation on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isahorizontal section through 65 the cylinder and spring-casing, taken onthe line 6 6, Fig. 4. Fig.. 7 is an elevation of a modified form ofbracket.

In the drawings, 1 iS a pneumatic cylinder having a cap 2 soldered orbrazed thereon, a 7o screw 3 tapped into the cap 2, and a washer 4 toregulate the size of the opening through which the air is expelled fromI(he cylinder when the door is closing, as hereinafter set forth. Anadjustable link 5 is pivoted at one 75 end, at 6, to the cap 2 and atthe other end, at 7, to the bracket 8, said bracket 8 being shownfastened by screws 9 to the door-casing 10. The cylinder 1 isscrew-threaded at 11 and is screwed into a hole at 12, tapped 8o intothe cylindrical boss 13, formedupon the holder 14. Said holder 14 has acylindrical ,projection 15 formed upon its under side and constructedwith a bore or hole 16, whereby `the projection is adapted to [it andturn freely upon the vertical hollow bearing 17 of the cylindricalspring-casing 18. Said bearing 17 is cylindrical upon its outside andhas a square hole 19 extending vertically and 1ongitudinally throughsaid bearing to receive a 9o square pin or stud 20, formed upon orattached to supporting-bracket 21, said bracket being shown fastened byscrews 22 to the door 23. The spring-casing 18'is held stationary uponthe bracket 21 by the square '95 stud 20. Said casing has gear-teleth 24cast upon its outer surface or perimeter, said gear meshing the rack 25,out in the piston-rod 26.

It will be evident that the cylinder 1,.cap 2,

ing-link between the adjustable swing-link 5 on the door-frame and thesupporting-bracket 2l on the door, and since the spring-casing 18 andits gear-teeth 24 are constantly held in a stationary position withrelation to the supporting-bracket there will be no increase of frictionon the piston and pistou-rod in the operation of the device, as there isno actual Working connection of the spring in the casing with the pistonand piston-rod, and the piston-rod travels in a circular path around thefixed gear. In practice it has been dein onstrated that by thisconstruction and operation the piston and piston-rod are constantly freefrom lateral or side pressure and friction.

A piston 27, consisting of a metal disk 28 and leather washer 29, isfastened to the piston-rod by the nut 30. When the piston 27 is drawnback in the cylinder l to its full throw, as shown in Fig. 6, the gear24 and rack 25 are cut away on the pitch-line in the ordinary manner ofconstructingintermittent gearing, so that any farther opening of thedoor will not move the piston in the cylinder. A flat helical spring 31is inelos'ed in the spring-casing 18, one end bearing against or fast tothe casing and the other end turned in to engage one of the slots 32 inthe cylindrical projection 15 upon the cylinder-holder 1t. The tensionof the spring can be regulated by placing the end in different slots 32.

It is evident that instead of a fiat helical spring a torsional spiralspring of wire could be employed to perform the same function as theflat spring, and in this case the tension on the spring could be variedby placing one end thereof in holes drilled in the top ot' the holder 14at distances apart corresponding to the slots A washer 33 and split pin3l serve to hold the spring-casing and other parts upon the stud 20.

The operation of the device is as follows: As the dooris opened from theposition shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 the piston is caused totravel lengthwise of the cylinder 1 on account of the relative change inthe position of the cylinder 1 and cylinder-holder 14 in relation to thedoor and to the gear 24, it being understood that the gear bears at alltimes a fixed position upon the bracket 21. When the door is closing,the piston will be moved in the opposite direction in the cylinder andthe air compressed, checking the door and preventing slamming. Byscrewing up on the regulating-screw 3 the time required for thecompressed air to escape from the cylinder 1 as the dooris closing maybeincreased and the door caused to close very slowly, and vice versa.

Itwill be seen that by placing the gear-teeth upon the outside of thespring-casing 1S the following advantages are secured: First, the teethof the gear 24 can be cast without adding to the expense of thespring-casing; sec` ond, the gear-teeth being placed outside theI casingsecure the quick opening of the piston when the door is first opened-afeature which is essential in a pneumatic check, and, third, thecylinder is practically at right angles to the door when the latter isnear its closing-point, and thus the greatest checking efficiency issecured.

It will be noted that the cylindrical boss 13 is so arranged in relationto the rest of the cylinder-holder 14 that when the parts of the deviceare assembled the center line of the cylinder 1 is midway between t-hetop and bottom of the spring-casing 18. The object of this constructionis to adapt the check for use on a right or left hand door and on thehinge side or on the side opposite thereto.

In the drawings I have shown the check applied to a righthand door onthe hinge side To adapt the check for use on a left-hand door on thehinge side, the only change necessary would be to remove the split pinSLL and washer 33 lift the check off the square stud 20, invert it,replace it on the stud 20, and replace the split pin and washer. Thiscan be done without wrench, screw-driver, or other tools. To adapt thecheck for use upon doors on the side opposite the hinges, I provide abracket 35, Fig. 7, and screw it to the under side of the casing. Thebracket S is secured to the door instead of the casing, and the check isplaced in the reverse position to that which it would occupy upon thehinge side of the same door. It will thus be seen that without takingthe check apart it can be placed upon the bracket Sor upon the bracket35, so as to lit a right or left hand door and inside or outside of saiddoors, as may be desired. This is a very important and valuable featureof my invention, as it enables the check to be sold by the hardwaretrade for any door by inclosing both brackets 8 and 35 with the check. y

It is evident that the piston 27 and pistonrod 2G might be removed andthe device used as a reversible door-closin g mechanism, or the spiralspring 3l might be removed and tho device used as a doorfcheckingmechanism without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be seen and understood that there is absolutely no side strainupon the piston and piston-rod when the door is being checked,-

thus eliminating friction and wear upon said parts and also upon thecylinder l. The checking strain is transmitted through the piston andpiston-rod to the fixed spring-casing through the gear-teeth upon saidpistonrod and casing.

It will be seen that the herein-described check does not requireaccuracy or nicety either in its construction or in setting it up andthat the Wearing parts would last for a great many years, with theexception of the leather washer 29, which can be easily replaced whenworn out by unscrewing the cylinder 1 from the holder 14, unscrewing thenut 30 from the piston-rod 26, and replacing the worn-out washer with anew one, when IIO the check will b'e as good as new. This can beperformed by any one without the use of tools and at a me'rely nominalexpense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pneumatic door-check, a pneumatic cylinder, one end pivotallyconnected to a supporting-bracket adapted to be attached to a door ordoor-casing, the other end pivotally connected to a link adapted to beattached to a door-casing or door, in combination with a piston, apiston-rod constructed with a rack along its length, and a gear heldconstantly stationary with relation to said supportingbracket during theaction of the check and directly engaging the rack on the piston-rod.

2. In a pneumatic door-check, a pneumatic cylinder one end pivotallyconnected to a supporting-bracket adapted to be attached to a door ordoor-casing, the other end pivotally connected to a link adapted to beattached to a door-casing or door, in combination with a piston, apiston-rod constructed with a rack along its length, and a gear heldstationary with relation to said supporting-bracket, in-

termittingly engaging directly with said rack,

and about the center of which the rack travels.

3. In a pneumatic door-check, a pneumatic cylinder, one end pivotallyconnected to a su pporting-bracket adapted to be attached to a door ordoor-casing, the other end pivotally connected to a link adapted to beattached to a door-casing or door, in combination with a piston, apiston-rod provided with a rack, a spring-casing c onstructed externallywith a gear exten-ding partially around its circumference and meshingwith the rack, and means for holding the said spring-casing and gear ina fixed position on said bracket during the operation ot' the check.

4. In a pneumatic door-check, the combination of a supporting-bracket, aspring-casing constructed externally with a gear, a spring in thecasing, means for holding said casing constantly in a stationaryposition on said bracket, a cylinder, a link pivoted to one end of thecylinder, and a piston having a piston-rod constructed along its lengthwith a rack meshing with and adapted to travel around the stationarygear of said springcasing as the door opens and closes.

5. In a pneumatic door-check, a pneumatic cylinder, one end pivotallyconnected to a link, said link adapted to be pivotally connected to adoor-casing or door, the other end of said cylinder pivotally connectedto a bracket adapted to be attached to a door or door-casing, a pistonand piston-rod, a rack fast to said piston-rod, and a non-rotatable gearmeshing said rack in combination with a spring, one end of said springconnected with the cylinder, the other with the bracket to which saidcylinder is pivoted.

6. A reversible door-closing mechanism, comprising in its construction apair of links pivoted together, one of said links adapted to bepivotally connected to a door-casing or door, the second link pivoted toa reversible spring-casing, a spring one end connected to saidspring-casing, and the other end to said second link, and a bracket onwhich said spring-casing is detachably and reversibly mounted,substantially as described for the purpose speciiied.

7. A reversible door checking and closing mechanism comprising in itsconstruction a pneumatic cylinder, one end pivotally connected to alink, said link adapted to be pivotally connected to a door-casing ordoor, the other end of said cylinder fast to a holder pivotallyconnected to a spring-casing, a spring one end connected to said holderand the other end to said casing, a piston and piston-rod, mechanism formoving said piston in said cylinder, and a bracket adapted to beattached to a door or door-casin g and on which said spring-casing isdetachably and reversibly mounted.

8. A reversible door checking and closing mechanism, comprising in itsconstruction a pneumatic cylinder, one end pivotallyconnected to a link,said link adapted to be pivotally connected to a door-casing or door,the other end ot said cylinder fast to a holder pivotally connected to aspringcasing, a

spring one end connected to said holder and the other end to saidcasing, a piston and piston-rod, a rack extending along the length ofsaid piston-rod, a non-rotatable gear meshing said rack, and a bracketon which said spring-casing is detachably and reversibly mounted.

9. A pneumatic door-check, comprising-in its construction a pneumaticcylinder, one end pivotally connected to a link adapted to be pivotallyconnected to a door-casing or door, the other end of said cylinder fastto a holder 14 pivotally connected to a spring-casing 18, so constructedand arranged that the center line ot' the pneumatic cylinder is in ahorizontal plane substantially midway between the top and bottom of saidspring-casing, and a supporting-bracket on whichsaid spring-casing isdetachably and reversibly mounted, substantially as described for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VICTOR BEAUREGARD. Witnesses:

CHARLES S. GOODING, SYDNEY E. TAFT.

IIO

